hey buddy, a little free advice: do some enduros! it's different. little stuff that you don't notice in a 2-hour hs or trail ride will drive you nuts over the course of 100 miles. it also tires you out mentally to concentrate that hard for that long--remember, you are trying to go fast on terrain you haven't seen before, for hours. you might talk to collin, he thought he might be ready for the alligator, then he went with us to maplesville. he said he had alot of fun & wants to do more of them, but i think he wants some more practice b/f he does the 'gator. we'll be doing 10 or 11 of them starting in feb, let me know if you want to go & we'll hook you up with the info. john